Executive paper size terminology

While not as popular as stock options and grants, some companies grant stock appreciation rights (SARs). Stock appreciation rights are the right to receive the increase in the value of a specified number of shares of common stock over a defined period of time. Economically, they are equivalent to stock options, with one exception. With a stock option, the executive has to purchase and then sell the shares to receive his or her profit. With a stock appreciation right, the corporation simply pays the executive, in cash or common stock, the excess of the current market price of the shares over the exercise price. Thus the executive is able to realize the benefits of a stock option without having to purchase the stock. In many cases, stock appreciation rights are granted in tandem with stock options where the executive, at the time of exercise, can choose either the stock option or stock appreciation right. For proxy-statement reporting purposes, SARs are combined with stock options. Similarly, they are treated like stock options for tax—including Section 162(m)—purposes. Consequently, for this analysis SARs will be incorporated into the broader category of stock options.